


Leather Jacket Love Story

by MagpieMorality



Series: Valentine Shorts 2020 [5]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1950s, Bullying, Cuddles, Established Relationship, Fluff, Greaser!Deceit, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Violence, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Insecurity, Kissing in the Rain, Leather Jackets, M/M, Nerd!Patton, Smoking, Stargazing, Very vaguely implied due to the time period, petnames, soft, the boyfriend jacket
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:46:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22668760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagpieMorality/pseuds/MagpieMorality
Summary: A 1950s Moceit AU where Patton is a nerd and Deceit AKA Decker is his Greaser boyfriend.
Relationships: Morality | Patton Sanders/Deceit Sanders
Series: Valentine Shorts 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1629586
Comments: 16
Kudos: 105





	1. How It Began

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How the boys met and fell in love.
> 
> A prequel look into the past!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From this prompt:
> 
> I don’t know if prompts are only like Friday and Saturday during your time zone, but i’ll make a request and you can just delete if not :D how did decker and pat get together?? how did they find out the other was gay? i’ve v curious and i love ur 50s au
> 
> Warnings: period-typical homphobia (referenced only)

It goes something like this; 

Patton is a nerd. He knows this, and he embraces it. He has two kind parents at home that show him the value of love and kindness in all things and he does his best to embody that as much as possible, even in the harsh climate of his high school. It's oddly easier than middle school, maybe because it's bigger and easier to blend in, but it comes with one tricky bit of trouble; Decker Godhardt. 

Decker is a greaser, a good-for-nothing, a problem kid. He's also one of Patton's oldest friends. 

Maybe friends is putting it nicely these days; they were great friends at five years old but that had been a long time ago and he hadn't seen much of Decker since. Apparently they'd gone in very different directions; Decker's parents hadn't done well and he'd moved from the quiet suburban neighbourhood- not a fancy one by any means but still nice enough- to further out of town while his dad worked any job he could and his mom took on shifts as a carer at the old people's place on the hill. 

But even with that long gap of time between knowing each other they recognised one another instantly that first day in the halls of the high school. And when Patton gave a very small, subtle smile as they made eye contact, carefully not showing any other sign of greeting, Decker's hard, wary eyes softened into a return almost smile and he continued on down the corridor without harassing the poor little nerd one bit. 

They met up later on, when the day was over and Patton was waiting to be picked up. Decker approached and leaned back against the wall nearby, lighting up a cigarette and carefully not looking at Patton, who was sat on the steps in front of him. There was silence for a moment until Decker cleared his throat. 

"So you're here, huh?" He asked, voice deeper and raspier than Patton had imagined. "Welcome to hell, I guess."

"Can't be hell," Patton replied mildly. When Decker made a noise of curiosity, Patton turned to smile at him. "Not if we're both here." He waved and ran off, climbing into his mom's car and watching Decker watch him drive away. 

They kept their friendship very quiet for a while, until Decker started spending more time at Patton's than his own, and then taking lifts with Patton's ma in the morning became easier, and because Decker was tall and scary and had a Reputation no one bothered to question the new world order. 

* * *

Things changed one summer night when they were on the cusp of adulthood, tipping over into independence and future dreams and responsibility. And all the things that came along with it. 

While stargazing over summer break in the fields outside of town on Deck's new car's hood, Patton turned to him. He swallowed thickly, and completely lost his voice as he tried to confess his darkest secret, bursting into tears. Decker grabbed him in a hug so tight it should have made him breathless but he felt suddenly like he could breathe as easily as anything, secured in the embrace. 

"You might hate me, and you might think I'm disgusting, or-" 

"Jesus nerd, what is it?!" Decker had hissed in horror. 

When Patton confessed Decker had gone quiet. He'd carefully let go, murmured for Patton not to go anywhere and had walked off into the dark field, the glow of his cigarette dwindling from view. Patton had waited, nervous as all hell, until Decker had returned an hour later. He'd walked up to the hood Patton was sitting on, and had reached to draw him into a hug. When Patton's legs unfolded to hang either side of his hips he hadn't protested, but had very slowly and deliberately moved them to hook around him, eyes dark under the faint light from the moon, darker when he moved so close there was no light that could get between them. 

If Patton had been scared then Decker was _terrified_. He wasn't in the kind of family that would get it. He wasn't on the kind of life path that would lead him to safety, and he wasn't convinced it was even the right thing to do, or be. But if it was what Patton was, if it was what Patton _wanted_ , how could it be bad?

They talked a lot that summer, about right and wrong and change and selves and them and us and everything. And when school started up again they were no different, but now Decker slept in the bed beside him when he stayed at Patton's house, instead of on the floor. 


	2. Look At Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this prompt:
> 
> Could I get “for one so adverse to mistruths, you lie an awful lot” with moceit, as angst or hurt/comfort?
> 
> Set before but posted after chapter 2

“I’m fine, just took a tumble!”

“It’s _okay Deck_. They didn’t mean it.”

“That’s not a problem at all! I’ll buy a new lunch…”

“Oh no sir, I prefer watching the game anyway.”

“All in good fun, right? No harm done! Just be careful where you aim that thing,” Patton grinned, rubbing the spot on his arm where the yoghurt pot had hit, smiling brightly as the other student did a terrible job apologising and snickered as he ran off to sit with his friends. Patton didn’t let the smile drop until he was out of the cafeteria, wincing as he poked the bruise and walked towards his locker. He wasn’t expecting to be pulled into an empty classroom only a few metres down the hall, the door clicking shut behind them as he turned to face… 

He sighed in relief. Decker. Just Decker. Not any of the mean seniors or that one stuffy jock-hopeful who seemed to have something to prove. Just his sweet, scary boyfriend Decker. 

Who was scowling, a toothpick precariously tucked into the corner of his mouth. “You wanna tell me you’re okay with how things are again, nerd?” Decker challenged him, jerking his chin up. “Go on I dare you. Tell me you’re fine, oh _Deck it’s just kids being kids_! You know, Pat, for one so adverse to mistruths, you lie an awful lot.” 

Who was angry. Patton wilted, looking at his scuffed up keds instead of Decker’s accusatory eyes. “It’s really not a big de-”

“And again! You have a go at me for telling lies and making things up and then you do this?! That’s not cool Pat! Makes me feel like-” Decker spun away from him, pacing around and kicking a chair when it got in his way. He looked, and sounded, oddly hurt by Patton’s… blurring of the truth. Denial, maybe. But why would he be hurt?”

Patton reached out and tried to stop his irate pacing, touching his shoulder, but Decker shrugged it off, tugging the toothpick out and rolling it in his fingers. He sat down heavily on a desk and Patton warily approached him, steps slow and small. “Decker? It’s just… I don’t want to bother you. Or anyone. It’s just school, that’s how it is, you know?”

“But why won’t you talk to me about it?” His boyfriend asked. For a guy in a leather jacket with the hint of a shiner still under his eye he seemed pretty… vulnerable. “Do you not trust me? Do you think I won’t care? Or I’ll be so bad at making you feel better that it’s not worth it? Or I’ll just go out and make things worse by h-”

“I don’t want to admit it to myself.” Patton touched a hand to his lips to check he’d actually said that out loud. Oh. Yes he had. “I don’t- I can’t hear my own voice say it Deck. Because then it’s real, and then… I don’t know what. It’s not you, it’s really not.”

“Patton,” Decker sighed, finally looking at him again. “Nerd. It’s happening whether you admit it or not. I just- I wish you’d _talk_ to me so I can, I dunno. Hug you or some shit. That’s why I’m here. Otherwise I just feel like another crummy kid who doesn’t get to really know you, and that’s not why I lo-” he swayed, lips pursing. Patton’s heart pounded, suddenly loud and frantic in his chest. 

His voice was quiet when he asked, “Why you what?” He knew what he wanted to hear. He knew what he _thought_ Decker was going to say. But when he actually said it?

“Why I love you.” 

Well, it was better than Patton could’ve ever hoped. 

It didn’t fix anything, not really, but he felt like he’d just gained a whole suit of armour to bolster his daily battle against high school. His smile lit up and Decker had to smile just seeing it. 

If anyone had walked past just then all they’d have seen through the door would’ve been what looked like one shape; two figures tucked so tightly together it was hard to tell where one ended and the other started, a reinforced bond tight enough to take on the hardest of hardships. And there would be plenty of those. 


	3. Look Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From this prompt:
> 
> another valentines day thing!! “Who did this?” with moceit and maybe uuuh 1950s au? with greaser!deceit? perhaps? if you want to?
> 
> Originally chapter 1 before the prequel (now chapter 1) was written and posted!

“Hey, nerd!” The voice preceded the sound of footsteps, heavy and confident as they swaggered closer to where the nerd in question was sat, hidden round the back of the school. Patton curled in tighter on himself, sniffing and turning his face away. Not _now_ , he just wanted to be left alone, was that too much to ask? 

A hand touched his jaw, slowly guiding his head up. “Oh nerd…” Decker murmured, the gentleness in his touch and tone at odds with the black leather jacket, combat boots and slicked-back hair. His thumb ever so lightly brushed the puffiness blooming under Patton’s wet eyes, fury flitting over his face. “Who did this? Tell me. Tell me and I’ll _get them back the shits-”_

“No, Deck, don’t,” Patton groaned, pushing his hand away and leaning his head back against the brick wall of the school gym. He looked up at the cloudy sky, sniffing wetly. “It’s not worth it. I’m not worth it.”

“You take that back Patton, or so help me I’ll-!” Decker’s mouth moved soundlessly as he tried to find the right threat. 

Patton just snorted mirthlessly. “Or you’ll what?” He asked, trying to keep the faint note of hope out of his reply. 

Decker dropped down beside him and threw an arm loosely around his neck, plucking the cigarette from behind his ear and holding it deftly between his lips while he fished for his lighter. He got it lit and took a deep drag before finishing his sentence. “Or I’ll kiss you until you’re too breathless to say it ever again. And then I’ll love you until you don’t believe it anymore, and that’s a threat.” He gave Patton a lopsided smirk, raising an eyebrow and looking down sideways at him. “What do you say to that, nerd?” 

How could Patton not feel better, with sweet romance like that? He snorted and rolled his eyes, but he also shifted closer and settled comfortably under Decker’s arm so he could rest his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Thanks Decks. That’s what I say.” 

The greaser hid his soppy grin with another draw of the cigarette, tilting his head to rest on top of Patton’s and curling his arm around the nerd to enclose him protectively against his side. “Yeah yeah. Love you, nerd.” 

“Love you too.” 


	4. Shelter Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From these prompts:
> 
> \- the boyfriend jacket™ and caught in the rain with hmm moceit (perhaps, maybe, with the 1950s au 👀👀)
> 
> and
> 
> 7\. the boyfriend jacket™ for moceit? 💛💙💛💙

They spilled out of the bar, laughing and leaning on each other, giggling at the gruff shouts that followed them out. Patton nearly stumbled over the sidewalk curb but Decker caught him by the neck of his shirt and pulled him back to safety, hooking an arm around his shoulders to keep him close. “Okay, so maybe getting your fake ID name to be Oldie McOld was a bad idea...” Decker said, fishing his cigarettes out to light one up, keeping the smoke carefully away from Patton’s face as they walked slowly in the direction of their homes.

“It was fun anyway. Thanks for trying.” Patton looked up at the dark sky, grinning at the hidden stars he knew were there. And blinking when something dropped onto his cheek. “Uh, Deck?” 

“Mm?” Decker asked, flicking his zippo closed and wiggling around to get it back into his jeans. “Was’up?” 

Patton held his palm out and another drop fell onto it. The sky opened suddenly, catching them out unprotected by buildings. With a shriek Patton tried to run, pulling Decker along by the hand, but there was nowhere to hide. 

He spotted the park and hoiked a left across the quiet road, stopping under the meagre shelter offered by the trees there. The rain fell and fell, warm summer rain at least, but still not fun, and the trees- while full of leaves- weren’t tall or thick enough to make too much difference. Decker cursed softly, shrugging out of his signature jacket. “Here,” he muttered, crowding Patton back against a tree trunk and holding the jacket up over their heads. “Better?”

Decker was very closed, Patton realised, and the taller boy shivered when Patton pressed his hands either side of his waist, feeling the warmth of his skin through his thin grey t-shirt. “Better,” Patton whispered back. It sounded loud in the enclosed space, despite the patter of rain off the black leather that covered their heads. “Thanks.” 

They blinked at each other in the darkness. When Decker’s lips curved into a smile, cigarette lost during their flight, Patton only knew because he could feel it against his own. 


	5. Dream Big

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From this prompt:
> 
> can I request some hurt comfort moceit please? Preferably Deceit's pov/comforting Patton, but if you like something else then that's fine too!! 🌟🌟

“What’s up crackerjack, I got your note. How’s it- oh, _nerd_...” Decker sighed, slipping under the bleachers to kneel in front of Patton. How he’d wedged himself so deep under Decker wasn’t sure, but he was hugging his knees so tightly his knuckles were white, and he had yet to meet Decker’s eyes. “Pat? Pit-pat baseball bat, c’mon. Talk to me.” 

As he brushed his outstretched fingers over Patton’s arm his sweetheart gasped, burying his face behind his knees. “I can’t do it!” He whispered, the words muffled but perfectly clear to Decker from the quiet bubble under the bleachers. “It’s too much...”

“What’s too much, nerd? Hey, you gonna let me hug you or should I wait?” 

“ _Please_.” 

Decker wriggled up beside him and pulled Patton sideways into his arms. Without letting go of his legs he tipped, curling into Decker’s lap and trembling finely under his fingers. “You’re not doin’ so hot, huh nerd,” the other boy sighed, stroking Patton’s hair tenderly. “What’s got you all in a tizz?”

Patton’s reply was too muffled to hear, and Decker had to ask him to repeat himself. 

“I said, it’s finals. I’m so scared I won’t get into college, Deck- it’s my only way out!” 

Well that explained a lot of the odd behaviour over the past week. “Oh nerd, hey, listen to me. You’re amazing. You’re fantastic! You’re like, the nerdiest nerd I ever met, and I am so proud of you, okay? You work real hard all the time.” 

The boy in his lap sniffed and started to uncurl, rolling onto his back to look up at his boyfriend. “You really think all that?”

Decker grinned, bending over to smack a kiss to Patton’s forehead. “You’re damn right I do. You know what else is amazing?” He asked, brushing an unruly curl off Patton’s face as he shook his head, eyes wide and hooked on what was coming. “How much you care. You could’a given up, like me, and just let the world roll you around like some schmuck. But you work and you dream of these big things- I don’t know how you do it but it kinda makes me wanna dream a lil’ bit too. And, nerd, I think that’s pretty cool.” 

He booped Patton’s nose to punctuate his final point, and Patton giggled softly. 

“I think you’re pretty cool too, Deck,” he whispered, and they shared a quick brush of lips before the bell rang. “Thanks. I can always count on you, can’t I...” 

“Course you can, nerd. That’s what I’m here for,” Decker winked, and squeezed himself back out from under the bleachers to take off again, boyfriendly duties successfully done. 


	6. Stargazing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From this prompt:
> 
> hi i’m living for your 50s moceit (i’m living for all your writing but that’s not the point rn) so could i have more?

It was no special occasion, not really. Not a birthday or a celebration of any secret anniversary or even a holiday. But Decker had decided it was the right night to pull out all the stops and do a spot of wooing. Patton had been working so hard, and he wanted to put a smile on his boyfriend’s face and love on him a little, because it had been too long since they’d had any time alone. 

So there he was, at just after midnight, hiding on the roof of Patton’s parents’ garage, pinging little stones at his window. It took a few minutes, but eventually the curtains shifted, and Patton pulled the window up to peer out, all cute and ruffled from sleep. “Deck? What- why are you here?” He asked, muffling a yawn against his shoulder as he squinted down in the darkness. 

“Come out, nerd, I’ve got plans.”

“It’s like, midnight Decker, we have school tomorrow…” 

Decker pouted, clasping his hands together. “Pretty please? It’ll be worth it Pat, I promise. C’mon, it’s warm out, and you’ve been way too busy, and- just come out. Don’t you trust me?”

Patton’s sigh was quiet but defeated, and Decker grinned. Patton disappeared from the window and he reappeared soon after, fully dressed, to meet Decker at the front of the house. He took Decker’s offered hand and followed him to his bike- the pedal one, not his motorbike, not at this time of night. He climbed on, letting Decker cycle them a little way out of town to the farm. They helped each other over the fence, and over to the stack of haybales that stood alone in the field. It took some doing to climb up on top, but when they lay back on Decker’s carefully spread out leather jacket it was, indeed, worth it. 

The stars shone overhead, bright and endless. The greaser slipped an arm under his boyfriend’s head, tucking him close and linking their other fingers together to clasp onto him. 

“It’s beautiful,” Patton murmured, snuggling him tightly. Decker grinned at him. It was too hard not to be cheesy, and he replied while fixing his eyes on his nerd. 

“It sure is.” 

Patton looked up at the slight chuckle in his voice, and poked him with a huff when he saw Decker looking pointedly at him, but Decker just swooped down to catch him for a kiss under the loving gaze of the night sky overhead. 


	7. Neon Lights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From these prompts:
> 
> oooh okay hear me out!!! for the leather jacket au how about,,,,, good ol' fashioned diner date? with milkshakes and the neon lights and all that!!
> 
> +
> 
> Okay, maybe, maaa a a y be “I’m going to ask you something and you have to answer me honestly.” for the 50's au ? I love them ever so much and i would love to see more 💛💛💛

"We can't share the straws, Pat, aren't you supposed to be laying low because of your parents? You've got less than a week until graduation-"

_"We've_ got less than a week," Patton interrupted in a mutinous mutter, picking at his fries.

"Fine, we have. But nerd, it's so close I can taste it, you'll be free! So why risk it now?" Decker said, squeezing Patton's foot between his own and wishing they didn't have to have this conversation. He wished they could just be two guys in the diner, chatting to the music and sharing kisses over milkshakes. Not hidden away in the corner, glad to be sure of the support of the old man, Emile, who owned the place, who kept trouble away and gave them extra desserts to share with a knowing wink.

Patton looked down, seeing his own clean, smooth hands with their chewed up nails contrasted by Decker's suntanned, work-rough pair also on the table. He set his jaw stubbornly and squeezed back. "Because I want to risk it for you. You mean so much to me, Deck, and we're gonna get out of here soon but, I want at least a few nice memories of this place with you."

"Before you go."

"Before I- we! We're going Deck!" His boyfriend didn't reply, just gazing evenly back and Patton faltered. "Together. I'm going to- I’m going to ask you something and you have to answer me honestly.”

Decker hesitated visibly, but when Patton started to frown he nodded. "Okay, of course. What is it?"

"Are you planning to stay here when I go to college?"

"I-" the greaser stopped, looking up at Patton with the most open, vulnerable, and guilty look Patton had ever seen on his face. "Pat I-"

He shook his head and Decker went quickly quiet. "I'm not… I can't force you to come, but I thought we were planning this together," Patton said. His voice felt tight in his throat and his eyes had already started to burn but he blinked it back. "When did you decide that wasn't the case?"

"Pats, nerd-"

"No! When did you decide _for me_ that our future wasn't… wasn't going to happen?!" He snapped, altogether too loud for the corner of the room they were sat in. "That's not fair, Deck!"

"Don't be naive, Patton! Of course I can't follow you off to your college, I can barely plan up to next week! I won't pass my exams, I know that. Mr S said he might be able to take me on as a mechanic at the auto shop when we graduate, I was gonna tell you, I just-"

Patton scoffed, folding his arms and turning away. "When?"

"At graduation."

"At- you were going to let me get all the way to graduation before telling me we weren't going to be together anymore?!"

"I'm not dumping you, nerd!"

"Well you sure as shit won't be dating me, either. Halfway across the country? You think there's a future in that?! Honestly Decker, I want my life to have you in it. Why can't you come? Why can't you find another auto shop and work there, near me? I love you!"

Decker sighed, reaching out to ease Patton's arms loose so he could hold his hands with a quick glance around to check the place was still empty. "I love you too. And I-" he broke off with a soft groan of frustration. "Maybe. Okay? Maybe there's a way. But not right away, nerd. I gotta take this job, earn some money, get some experience. Then?"

"Then you'll follow me?" Patton whispered, eyebrows pinched together as he restrained his growing hope. "Then you'll come be with me again?"

It took his boyfriend a moment to reply, mulling things over. Patton could almost see the gears turning fast, considering plans and options and ideas at light speed. Decker was smart as shit, Patton knew it better than anyone. It wasn't in books and writing though, but the world and how people ticked. What would work and what wouldn't. 

Ever a problem solver, apart from in this unique circumstance, apparently. 

"I'm gonna need to think about it. There's plans need to be made first, money things to figure out-"

"I'll help with all of that!" Patton insisted, trying not to smile too soon. Decker eyed him suspiciously as he nearly squirmed on his side of the booth. "We'll sort it out. You just gotta say you're with me on this, Deck. That's all. Just say you want to try."

The hesitation was almost too much, but Decker slowly nodded. They shared the dessert old Emile brought them with secret shared smiles, promising more when they were alone and out of sight, talking just with a hint of a grin and a brush of fingers, or the tap of feet, eyes shining under the neon lights. 


End file.
